7 headcounts failed to detect 2 escaped inmates

The two men who escaped from an Ohio prison had nearly a 27-hour head start before authorities noticed one was missing at the 11 a.m. inmate count and the other couldn’t be found by 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Warden Angela Hunsinger-stuff at Allen/oakwood Correctional Institution.

Police captured James M. Lee near Henderson, Kentucky, but convicted killer Bradley Gillespie remains on the loose.

Hunsinger-stuff disclosed that Lee and Gillespie were last seen on prison surveillance camera footage at 8:41 a.m. Monday. Seven mandated headcounts failed to flag them as missing.

It wasn’t until the 11 a.m. count on Tuesday that Lee was reported missing and then after an emergency count it was determined Gillespie was gone, the warden said.

The warden described the discrepancy Tuesday night during a press conference that the Allen County Sheriff’s office livestreamed on its Facebook page.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating.

Gillespie, 50, was convicted of two murders in Paulding County. Authorities said he should be considered dangerous. Anyone who sees him or has any information regarding his whereabouts should call 911 immediately.

Lee was captured overnight Wednesday when authorities spotted and chased the stolen red Mercury Capri Lee and Gillespie were believed to be driving.

The focus remains on the Henderson area, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. The patrol’s aviation unit is helping search for Gillespie from the air and its special response team is on the ground. The U.S. Marshals Service is directing the ground search.

There is a $21,000 reward for information and leads that help police capture the escapees.